Thing #19 2.0 Winners, What Fun!

I really took advantage of the directions on this one and looked at SWOmoz choices for award-winning tools that interested me.
I didn't necessarily think about finding things what would be "useful"....I just played!

But as with many things fun (and potato chips), I couldn't stop with just one. So here are the ones that bubbled to the top for me.

I love cute little widgets (almost as much as image generators) so I went looking at that category. And found a source called SpringWidgets. I added one to my other blog counting down the days until TLA conference, but don't bother looking at it in district. Same song, forgotten what verse...it's blocked! I clicked on the Widget Gallery and selected the one called Countdown to Summer...but what is cool is you can change the text to say what you what the countdown to be about...it is "posted" on a little yellow sticky note complete with push pins! I added a couple pf widgets from the "currently popular" on the home page...take a look towards the bottom of the side bar if you have a "light bulb moment" or need a "fortune." Treat yourself at home...of course!

Another award choice for me is Guess-the-google. TH first brought this fun little guessing game to my attention so I was glad to find it on the award list, play it some more, and get to write about it a bit. From the web site:

Guess-the-google reverses this process by picking
the keywords for you, the player must then guess what keyword made up the image - it's surprisingly addictive.

BTW...I do see some educational value in this particular little game...vocabulary building, drawing conclusions...ok, you can think up the reasons for using. I just want to play!

CAUTION: This fun little game is out on the WWW. That means it is available to anyone and everyone. The game is NOT the problem...some of the players are. Especially if they are high scorers. Their inappropriate screen names will appear to the right of the game screen...you can click into the game to get rid of the list. Do try the game for the game's sake and if you think it is useful in class, work you magic for figuring a workaround to the list of names should it hold some less than appropriate examples. I WISH there was a way to close that part...I wish the creator would realize his game would get more "press" if that element wasn't so in-your-face so to speak.

Update late Thursday night...the list of high scorers looks better than it did yesterday!

O, yes...it also takes Flash 8 to work, but that can be downloaded from the site should you need it.

When I found DonorsChoose.org on the awards list, it triggered something I had participated in earlier this year. I have a friend who applied for some financial assistance through this organization and was able to get some resources for her class...materials that had long-ago gone out of date and the school/district was not able to replace with updated versions. So she wrote the "grant" and after about 6 weeks, she was awarded her money, purchased her materials, received a digital camera to record the learning and has been busy sharing her "wealth" with her students. She will turn in a results report later this year.

As a contributor, it was easy for me. I wrote a check, but donations can be made online...partial or full. You can see a complete breakdown of the proposed expenses and how the request is to be used. I did a search for projects for here in Houston...there are pages and pages ranging from batches of spiral notebooks to a copier/printer!

Maybe this the way to go for something you need?
x

Can't wait to see the new list of web winners when it comes out in May!

Hopping towards the finish line...good night!

Froggy Wart

Thing #18 Open Sesame Open Sources

Some more tools for that ever-expanding toolbox.

Been using Google Docs, particularly the spreadsheet, for the last few months. For several reasons...

1. it's a Thing!

2. Spreadsheets, any spreadsheets are my nemesis, my Achilles' heel or any other negative term you can come up with. I just have so much trouble with them. I FORCE myself to use them to try and "get-over-it." I think I can finally say I can use them with text fairly well. Formulas..nope! Calculator for me!

3. Collaboration/sharing. Needed to share some information that could be manipulated or changed.

Like the fact that I have a place to park things on something other than my computer. Yes, thru the district I have some storage places, but it's limited for a variety reasons and by putting things in Google Docs, I can get to it when I need to, no matter where I am. And frankly, district storage makes me nervous...there are so many variables.

Downloaded and set-up Open Office. Took awhile. Felt like I was back in my days of dial-up waiting for my genealogy documents to open! Anyway, I know I will use it (despite the fact I have a perfectly good set of MS Office tools on both my home and office computers.) I know the district has been tossing the idea around of going with an open source resource so I want to be up on the idea if and when it comes.

It will not be easy for me. I am SUCH a creature of habit. I will use older versions of things just because I know how and don't need to change to do what I need to do. But I have come to the realization over the last few years that change or adaptation is necessary...need to keep moving to keep up. So I will tackle the various parts of Open Office "soon." I will find a project and force myself to get through it and come out on the other side. If you don't understand what I mean, go back and read my first posting about my first wiki development. Arrrggghh!!!

The Draw portion has appeal for me. I used Appleworks/ClarisWorks Draw for almost everything I did for several years "way long time ago." Never got over not having it when I made the move to MS products..UNTIL I let PowerPoint become my work surface. I use PPT for probably 90% of any product...be it graphic/photo manipulation to training materials. Hummm, maybe that's 95%. So it will be interesting to see how Open Office Draw factors into my methods...but the buttons looked so intimidating...SOOOOO many of them!

It will be good to have knowledge of something that more people could access and not have the software themselves. Again with the sharing and collaboration issues mentioned above. And I will try very hard to accept and use the presentation system, but o, my PPT...it's like that one old worn out pair of comfy shoes that are STILL in my closet...

But I will try, I really will try! I promise!

More later,
Froggy Wart

Thing #15 2.0 The Future is Us

Been doing the "library thing" for a long time and can't tell you how exciting it is to be immersed in this whole 2.0 version of "life in the library." Yes, with it comes the need to change...and I have handled it better than I ever thought because it has been so exciting.
And F-U-N!

One of the hardest things for me to accept was that in the 2.0 world I can NOT know all there is to know. I do have a responsibility to be familiar with as many things as I can so I can assist people within my circle of influence who want to use or experience something 2.0. AND I have to be ahead of the curve as well...I have to be the experimenter, the tester, the pioneer as much as I can.

There is so much choice in the 2.0 world. I have to be flexible and guide those who seek my assistance in the direction that best fits their needs. I can't make them do it the "old" way just because I'm more familiar (or comfortable) with that way. The user should determine the format, not be locked into a more traditional method.

But users have a responsibility as well. No one will know everything so everyone will have to learn parts on their own. That is one reason this 23 Things is so important to me. I have had to discover how some things work on my own with only the directions, FAQs, and samples. Even the teachers I support have to become users to a certain extent and must take on some responsibility to familiarize themselves with the 2.0 tools their students may want to use, simply because I can no longer "know it all." Teachers and librarians are going to have to be partners in this endeavour even more than in the past. None of us will be able to handle it alone.

The statements brought out in the video must be a wake up call that students are going to use the technology...with or without us! We need to rethink policies that keep them away from the very tools they find most useful and we need to provide the information as freely as possible to as many points of access as we can on a 24/7 timeline. And we need to understand they don't do these things in isolation...group dynamics is all a part of the learning process...no learning in isolation any longer.

And just a short statement about books because they are a part of this 2.0 picture as well. In my opinion, books will not disappear. The types of books we purchase for our libraries will change. We don't need the big, heavy, expensive research volumes...that info is available on line in much more appealing format...multiple users, printouts or emailed copies of only what is needed. Audio books, whether in a mp3 or "Kindle" format, are still "books." And yes, the beautifully illustrated picture books, the graphic novels, and the throw-away pocket book novels for a visit to the beach will still be around.

I think I said it before...choice. In many formats for many reasons. That's my view of 2.0. For now. Watch out, it will change!

Whew, Have finally caught up!

Froggy Wart

Thing #17 Playing Around in the Sandbox

I did go to the L2P Wiki Sandbox and made a few comments. I have been in other wikis as contributor so I am comfortable with the wiki experience.

What I did realize is, I have to jump back and pick up Thing #15...just leaped right over it, but don't want to neglect it. But that will have to come later.

Gotta walk the dog and then jump into bed!

FG

Thing #16: It's Been a Wiki of a Month

Ok, am updating my original thoughts about my wiki experience so that I can move onto other Things!

I did get two wikis created for two assignments I was given. The first one was an excruciating painful experience as are most of my maiden voyages into something new technology-wise. The second one was a much more positive experience...mainly because I controlled all of the variables this go-round.

I have to remember to work with the software and not try to make the software work with my pre-conceived notions. Once I remembered that, the second attempt went much faster and smoother.

I am fully committed to using wikis for other things now. I like the PBWiki format so probably will stay with it when I can. Again, that is something I have had to learn about 2.0 web tools...there are many that will do virtually the same thing. Find one or two, learn to use them and don't worry too much about all the other similar ones...personal choice should play into it.

I have reviewed many of the wikis included in the assignment over the last year. At first I was not too impressed because I saw many incomplete, messy-looking, or "dead" wikis...when I finally realized that many wikis are simply workspaces for team collaboration and that final "products" are probably elsewhere, it made sense.

The major purpose of wikis is the collaboration piece and I have participated in a few...most to just add an idea or thought and one to add multiple resources as I come across them.

I do plan to use the wiki format soon, but not for a collaboration in the normal sense. Because our district's source for webpages is changing and the current choice is not very easy to work with, I have decided to make a framework withing the district's software and add the bulk of my materials, resources, and notes to a wiki. It will be much easier for me to update and change to meet my needs...and I have the option of making it collaborative later!

So, ok, you can call me a wiki fan now...albeit on my own terms (as often happens with me.)

Moving on,
The Frog

P.S. Here are the wikis I worked on during the last month. The groups have the option of adding to and/or changing but so far I have not had any inquiries.
ScoreWrite Research Topics
A Raisin in the Sun Project

Celebrate Leap Day

[Technical note: the district firewall is blocking 2 pictures of a leaping frog...category--forum/blog. I got the 1st one from my file...when it showed blocked I went to MS Clipart and captured the same frog...blocked again!! Why did I do that ....because I ALWAYS doubt myself...thought maybe I had forgotten where I got the first one!

Nevertheless..it is a picture of a leaping frog for crying out loud...nothing more...more a "trusted" site. I had noticed over the past few days more & more of my pictues/book covers are showing up as dreaded red Xs.

I - do - not - get - it

To the people who look at this outside the district, no, I'm not crazy (and neither are you), yes there are 2 pictures of the same frog and now you know why.

Saturday update: took one off...seems they now load in district (including other pix that were not loading...not sure how or why...don't really care...just as long as they do.

Ok...back to our regularly scheduled proram...]

Is this just too perfect!

February 29th is Leap Day...the initial day of the Year of the Frog as designated by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

See more over at A Library By Any Other Name including some great book resources (again)put together by one of my favorite book review bloggers.

Doing a little happy leap about it all! :-)

Wanna See or Hear More about 2.0?

Check out this free magazine about blogging and podcasting...I have been reading it for interest's sake for about a year. It will give you some perspective of these two tools outside the realm of education. Pretty amazing to get a glimpse at just how much is out there!

You can register for a free online podcast version or online version with the coolest reader technology--love watching the pages turn (yes I am easily entertained!)

I know what you are thinking...Yup, another email/password but you can use one you already have! :-)

Blogger & Podcaster For Aspiring New Media Titans...perfect title for all us 23 Things media titans, don't you think?

Enjoy! ...or not, the choice is yours.

Yahoo News Globe: Another Mash-up Tool for Your Virtual Tool-box

Here's some information about the Yahoo News Globe...an interesting way to combine the news with world geography. One the major components is an RSS feed.

It will be interesting to see how this is used.

Thing #14 Technorati is Worth a Claim

I have used Technorati for many months. My main purpose was that that comes from claiming a blog. I claimed my first blog so that I could see all the different blogs known as authorities that "found" it because of the tags or things I mentioned and for whatever reason either mentioned it in their blogs or put it on ther blogrolls.

Because Technorati keeps a list of these blogs for me, I am able to go in and study these blogs individually and learn from them, see what we have in common, and follow them if they fit a need. Several times a curriculum-related blog has latched onto something I posted and I get to see how the information does work out in a classroom.

In the beginning, I also took a look at the Top 100 blogs...amazing how many are educationally technology or library related...lots of good "stuff" to learn about. Take a look at Engadget, Mashable, ReadWrite Web, 43 Folders.

I have done searches through it as well, but not too many because I have so many other ways to locate resources. I think it comes down to whatever works for you and whatever you get used to first. Choice...that's the key!

Technorati...another way to share the wealth of information.

Goodnight,

Froggy Wart

Note to Self

A tag can replace a folder...JUST like an OPAC replaced all those catalog drawers...long ago & far away. So get over it...and move on.

Now this problem with alphabetizing by first name...sorry, some things are just sacred.

Thing #13 A Del.icio.us Taste

Tags and tagging I have down...in another part of my world we have spent many hours discussing the difference between subject headings and keywords...tagging is a kissin' cousin to the keyword idea...

Subject headings - controlled vocabulary
Keywords & Tags - not so much...or are they somewhat created from a "controlled" set of terms.
Del.icio.us is set up to assist you with tagging in that it gives you "hints" at the tags others have used for your links. But you do have the freedom to use any and all words that will help you organize your links.

I have used several things throughout the years to keep up all the great things on the Web. Links worked until you realized that they are computer specific...so when you set up a links bar for your students...you have to go add it to every one of the computers your kids might use!
And then IE7 hid it from you...and it took awhile to figure out where it went...whew, I found it.

Then the matriarch of blogging in my circle taught me about Ikeepbookmarks.com. Set up your bookmarks and they go with you from computer to computer. I put lots of personal things on there and can always have them. I am not good at remembering addresses or sometimes even the title of the site so this little tool solved that problem.

Then when I started on the blogging path...a whole other set of sites to keep up with! Blogrolls helped, but they get longer and longer! Google Reader helps keep up with the reading by showing only those that have updated and then the public reader allows me to share.

Through 23 Things, I have even found more ways that information I use and need can be organized...Google notebook, iGoogle page, Rollyo...and now del.icio.us with Technorati just around the corner.

I have seen del.icio.us lists before thru at least one of the blogs I follow. I noticed Cool Cat is also posting her del.icio.us links as well. The lists overwhelm me. But at least I had some background before tackling it myself.

As has been mentioned before by several of the 23 Things participants, I had to create yet another account...apparantly I must have done so because my user name was taken (and no one else would being using it, I guarantee), but I couldn't come up with a passwrod and they couldn't find my email...but my username was not useable. Ok...so I use another one that I use sometimes for such incidents and go to add my password...not "strong" enough so I have to fiddle with the password. Ok...I surrender... I now have a secret page on one of the many services I use so I can go look up my virtual ids and passwords. O brother!

Finally...to the assignment. I decided to build a list of cataloging sites and information so I can keep up with all the discussions about all the cataloging changes that are coming...RDA, FRBR, tagging!, the debate over to have call #s or not, yada, yada, yada.

BUT...it is already a long list...and I have not yet discovered the "folder" system...if there is one. My email allows for folders, my reader allows for folders...even my computer desk top has folders. I think I am suppose to work with the tags in del.icio.us to achieve some semblance of "order." Am gonna have to get my head around this one...may take me awhile.

More later,
The Frog

Thing #12 What's this Rollyo All About, Tootsie?

hummm... I was an "M" student on this one.

Although I love the name and the cute little red symbol...brand!...I wasn't getting the point. I looked, I read, stopped thinking so hard, and finally, just did what it asked.

I think I finally understand...it is JUST a cleverly named, little red-enhanced S-E-A-R-C-H E-N-G-I-N-E...not rocket science, but certainly Greek to me .

I selected a subject that SHOULD be near and dear to my heart...cataloging issues, and particularly, the future of cataloging...plenty of things I need to be learning about and learning how to do. I dutifully added several sources I want to use in getting this information. Includes Catalogblog, The FRBR Blog, OCLC Bib Formats, The Dewey Blog, LOC MARC Holdings, etc.

But when I went to search something, it included the Web and that muddied the results I had to wade through. That was one of the things that was mentioned in the intro as a reason for using..."clean" searches! Hummm....not doing something right maybe?

So I put the cute little search widget on my sidebar, added some search locations including this blog itself...now if that works, then this whole experiment will be worth it and I will add it to my other blog...where I have trouble sometimes finding things (because my tags are too general.)

BTW, help yourself if you want to and see what you can see from what I selected.

And I'm gonna muster up some patience and use it awhile to see if I get used it...which usually happens to me and most of this 2.0 stuff...in the meantime, can I go back and do another image generator?

Gotta go wash the mud off,
Froggy

Thing #11 That Library Thing...Organized Info...Eventually

Added a few more books to my pile over at Library Thing. I have had an account for awhile but have been very slow at adding for 2 reasons...don't take (or have) time and SO many of my books are not in the database or the other sources. I collect a lot of specialized, small press books and no one else has added them and amazon.com or THE Library have never "heard of them." So I will have to actually sit down and input them...almost like "real" cataloging. Not my favorite "busman's holiday."

TH over at Connected But Hassled had a great idea about including the literary element or other purpose/use for the book in its description...BECAUSE as we all know, those mean, ol' grumpy cataloger people won't let us muddy up those MARC records with made-up subject headings. And those stodgy, serious, and weird (cookery--what real normal person USES that word?) subject headings just don't always fill the bill.

I put one of those cute little cover widgets over on my sidebar so you can see some of the random books that I have in my LibraryThing..at least the ones whose covers show up. I wish I could select what shows...I have others that are more "favorite." But anyway, I wanted to have something to show you!

And I do want to find some groups that share my interests...but that is going to be a challenge from what I can tell so far!

I would love for my girls to put all their books in so that they know what they have...especially for teaching needs. But also because it would mean that stack of storage boxes would be at their houses, not mine!

O, I almost forgot...here is another place called Shelfari where you display your own collection of your books in your blog; it puts them in a little "wooden" bookshelf...cute!I have seen it inaction on some blogs I follow, but I aven't had a chance to pay with it myself yet.

Gotta go, it's dog-walking time,
Froggy Wart


P.S. Yes, those MARC records with their controlled vocabulary subject headings DO serve a very important function so take the pins outta that poor cataloger's voodoo doll. Remember-- tag 500a General Note can be used for all kinds of valuable information like literary elements, etc.
Be happy to have this discussion anytime!

It's a Disease...and I Have Caught It

This morphing, mashing, image generating thing...

I have let myself go and I can't keep myself straight anymore!

Kid-friendly avatar, image generator Build Your Wild Self from the NY Zoos & Aquarium, I think! T-O-O - MUCH - FUN!!!!

You HAVE to go play with this one!

(Yes, I could have morphed into frogs' legs, but the tennis shoes are part of my "retirement" look of the future...and besides someone might wanna snack if I had 'em. You never hear of anyone eating frog arms!)

P.S. it allows for printing, emailing...but no "code" so I just took a screen shot, dropped it into PPT, cut away all the "junk" and saved it as a png (jpg would work too!)..and yes, I know some of you have some sort of fancy-shmancy program that will do that too! Whatever works for you!

Thing #10 Playing Around with Image Generators

I have been playing around so much with these things that I have neglected the necessary post! In looking thru all the other blogs that have gotten this far, I see so many clever ideas that can be incorporated for various things in a library or classroom. And i have palyed and played and sprinkled a few throughout the blog.


The idea that I will zero in on is signage...this previous post in my other blog will give you a better idea WHY signage is a hot button issue for me.


In so many libraries (including the ones I used to manage!), lots and lots of signs are needed to assist patrons in finding their way around and in finding just the right book or resource. All of these image generators can make solving that problem F-U-N. You can select a theme or style or color scheme to tie everything together...whatever meshes with your personality. (huuummm..is THAT a mashup of sorts?)


The sign above is from Image Chef in the Sign-Banner section. The one over on the sidebar is Image Chef's License Plate generator. Image Chef animated below, too!

I have and will use others throughout the blog...and will try to remember to tell you where they came from.

Later,

FG